Jamie Houghton wins UK Pastry Open 2017

Jamie Houghton, pastry chef at the two-Michelin-starred Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton, Oxford, has been crowned the overall winner of the 2017 UK Pastry Open.

The competition saw nine chefs compete over the course of six hours to create a chocolate, sugar or ice showpiece and five plated desserts.

Chocolate sculptures had to measure 125cm tall, with a 60x40cm base and feature one original chocolate flower and two eight-portion fruit entremets using Les Vergers Boiron fruit purée.

The 125cm sugar sculpture had to include 30% pulled sugar with at least a rose flower, some ribbon, plus 20% of blown sugar. Sugar was accompanied with two Valrhona chocolate entremets.

The ice sculpture was to be made using two blocks of ice and once finished, measure 160cm tall including two two frozen entremets using Les Vergers Boiron fruit purées.

Houghton showcased a flight themed sugar sculpture, with a red sugar biplane complete with moving propeller, and an orange domed plated dessert.

He was also awarded the prize for Best Sugar Piece and Best Tasting Entremet.

The win instantly places Houghton as one of the three pastry chefs that will go on to represent the UK at the 30th World Pastry Cup in Lyon in 2019, where 22 countries will compete to win.

He also receives a three-day course at the Chicago School of Pastry; a three-day sugar showpiece class with Emmanuel Forcone; a Classic Fine Foods pastry chef hamper; eight Grands Crus bars of Valrhona chocolate; the Valrhona Chocolate Encyclopedia and a bag of Guanaja couverture.

Houghton said: "It will be a true honour to represent my country in such a prestigious competition that is the Coupe du Monde. I believe that the Coupe du Monde gives the Pastry profession a better visibility and makes it more accessible to the public, while giving the pastry chefs an occasion to showcase their talents. It is also interesting to see how versatile chocolate, sugar or ice can be."

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